Pot-type burner

ABSTRACT

A pot-type burner comprises an open burner having a pot formed by a cylindrical wall defining a column with a bottom wall and an open top, a means for supplying liquid fuel to the vicinity of the bottom wall within the pot, and a first column barrier for restricting the flow of vapor derived from the liquid fuel. The first barrier is spaced axially from the bottom wall in order to form a first chamber with a restricted throat, a second column barrier is spaced axially within the pot, from the first barrier, the second barrier comprising a catalyzer plate extending in a plane normal to the axis of the pot, the catalyzer plate having a central opening, radially extending, spaced apart fins and an annular portion near the first wall of the pot but spaced therefrom to define an annular opening with the first wall. The fins each have a planar component extending axially relative to the column, the second barrier defining a second chamber and the first wall having perforations at least at the level of the second chamber in order to supply air to support combustion of the vapors at the second chamber whereby a blue flame will be sustained in the column at the catalyzer plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to liquid fuel burners and more particularly to improvements in pot-type oil burners.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] An important aim in the development of fuel burners is to reduce noxious emissions and to also reduce the creation of carbon deposits on the pot of the burner. As is well known such problems can be significantly resolved by producing a blue flame which indicates a very hot flame resulting in a more complete burn. Thus, several attempts have been made to attain a blue flame while operating this type of burner. An example of such a device includes Canadian patent 1,198,979 issued Jan. 7, 1986 to Toyotomi Kogyo Co. Ltd., for a Combustion Cylinder Construction For Oil Space Heater. This device is a double cylinder type of burner with recirculation of the products of combustion to arrive at complete combustion. A flame uniform-flow mechanism is provided that includes an annular plate having annular rows of different size holes. The heater in accordance with this patent may be effective but complex and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is an aim of the present invention to provide a burner that is simple, with fewer parts, but will furnish a blue flame in order to reduce carbon deposits and air borne particles.

[0006] In order to obtain a blue flame condition, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the flame and the gases of combustion, namely air and the oil vapours. The prior art requires increased wall contact surfaces such as recirculation devices such as the double wall of Canadian patent 1,198,979. The purpose of the increased wall contact is to increase the heat exchange properties and thus the increased temperature of the gases.

[0007] A construction in accordance with the present invention comprises an open burner having a cylinder with a bottom wall and an open top defining a column, a means for supplying liquid fuel to the vicinity of the bottom wall within the cylinder, and a column barrier is spaced within the cylinder, spaced from the bottom wall, the column barrier comprising a catalyzer plate, extending in a plane normal to the axis of the cylinder, the plate having a central opening, and radially extending, spaced apart fins.

[0008] A more specific construction in accordance with the present invention comprises an open burner having a pot having a cylindrical wall defining a column with a bottom wall and an open top, a means for supplying liquid fuel to the vicinity of the bottom wall within the pot, and a first column barrier for restricting the flow of vapour derived from the liquid fuel. The first barrier is spaced from the bottom wall in order to form a first chamber with a restricted throat, and a second column barrier is spaced vertically within the cylinder, from the first barrier, and comprising a catalyzer plate, extending in a plane normal to the axis of the pot. The plate has a central opening, radially extending, spaced apart fins and an annular portion near the cylindrical wall but spaced therefrom to define an annular opening with the cylindrical wall. The fins each have a planar component extending axially relative to the column. The catalyzer plate defining a second chamber with the first column barrier and the first wall having perforations at the level of the second chamber in order to supply air to support combustion of the fuel vapours at the catalyzer plate whereby a blue flame will be sustained in the column at the plate.

[0009] The provision of the fins with the flat surfaces of the fins in the axial direction of the column permits a greater wall contact with the gases of combustion, thereby increasing the temperature through heat exchange from the metal pot wall including the fins to the vapours and the air mixture passing between the fins. The fins may be designed to increase or reduce the surface area and control the temperature of the gases can be attained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings showing, by way of illustration, a preferred embodiment thereof, in which:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of a pot-type burner incorporating the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the burner in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

[0013]FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2,

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Referring to the drawings a pot-type burner 10 is shown which includes the pot 12. The pot 12 includes a cylindrical wall 14 and a bottom wall 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 an inlet 18 is provided for supplying a liquid fuel such as oil into the pot 12 on the bottom wall 16. This provides a large evaporative surface for the fuel oil and the heat of the burner will cause rapid vaporization of the liquid fuel.

[0015] The pot 12 defines a column for the fuel vapours which can be said to be divided into two chambers. The first chamber 32 includes an annular series of holes 22 provided in the cylindrical wall 14.

[0016] The first chamber 32 is delimited by a removable ring 22 having a peripheral flange 24 loosely fitted against the wall 14, and an inner annular flange 26 defining the column throat between the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34. Pins 25 support the removable ring 22 in its position. Indentations 28 as shown in FIG. 1 are provided on the ring 22 to allow the ring 22 to be removed from the pot 12 pass the pins 35. The second chamber 34 includes an annular series of holes 30 for allowing air to enter into the chamber 34.

[0017] A catalyzer plate 36 is spaced axially from the ring 22 and delimits the second chamber 34. The catalyzer plate 36 is made up of a first outer ring 38 and an inner ring 42. The outer ring 38 includes tongues 40 which project radially from the periphery thereof and sit on support pins 35 on the inner surface of wall 14.

[0018] The catalyzer plate 36 is made of two parts. The outer ring 38 may be a stamped metal member with the tongues 40 and includes an outwardly flared flange 52. The tongues 40 ensure an annular space 54 between the outer flange 52 of ring 36 and the inner surface of wall 14.

[0019] The inner ring 42 is also a stamped member and includes an annular row of openings 46 surrounding a central opening 44. A series of fins 48 and 50 extend radially from the ring 42. They are first stamped in a flat plane of the ring 42 and then twisted so that they define planes which are radial and in planes normal to the plane of ring 42. When assembled to make up the catalyzer plate 36, alternating fins 48 and 50 are staggered so that fins 48 will overlap the top of the ring 38 while fins 50 will overlap the bottom surface of the ring 38 as shown in the drawings, particularly in FIG. 3.

[0020] The fins 48, 50 present parallel planar surfaces which extend in the axis of the pot 12, that is in the axis of the column form by the pot 12. The area of the fins 48, 50 is designed to optimize the heat exchange with the vapours and air mixture passing upwardly between the fins 48, 50 from the second chamber.

[0021] In operation, oil is fed into the pot 12 through the inlet 18 to form a layer of oil at the bottom of the pot. The burner is ignited by known means and after the burner has been heated up, the heat of the pot will cause the oil to vaporize. The first ring 22 will act to retain the vapours in the first chamber 32 allowing the vapours to absorb more heat from the pot and from the ring 22. The vapour will pass through the throat formed by the inner flange 26 of the ring 22 into the second chamber 34 where vapours and air coming into the pot will be temporarily held back because of the resistance of the catalyzer plate 36. The vapours and air mixture must then pass between the fins 48 and 50 where it will pick up more heat from the fins. The annular space 54 is believed to be necessary to allow proper circulation.

[0022] A blue flame F has been witnessed which appears consistent with the structure and it is believed that the configuration of the fins and the temporary retention of the vapours and air within the first and second chambers of the temperature of the flame to be high enough to produce a blue flame, thereby providing a more complete burning of the gases of combustion and thus reducing pollution.

[0023] In a prototype of the pot of the type shown in the drawings, a flame extending about 3″ to 5″ above the catalyzer plate 36 was noted. The flame appeared to have about a 90% blue colour with a 10% orange colour. The flame formed a uniform curtain continuous from the level of the catalyzer plate 36. The jets forming the blue flame extended from the perimeter of the plate 36 towards the center of the catalyzer plate and extended upwardly to the central opening 44. 

I claim:
 1. A pot-type burner comprising an open burner having a cylindrical wall defining a pot forming a vertical column with a bottom wall and an open top, means for supplying liquid fuel to the vicinity of the bottom wall within the pot, and a column barrier is spaced vertically within the pot, spaced from the bottom wall, the column barrier comprising a catalyzer plate, extending in a plane normal to the axis of the pot, the catalyzer plate having a central opening, and radially extending, spaced apart fins whereby fuel vapours passing by the fins will absorb heat from the fins to produce a blue flame.
 2. A pot-type burner as defined in claim 1 wherein a ring is provided between the bottom wall and the catalyzer plate to define first and second chambers and the ring defines a restricted throat between the first and second chamber for the purpose of retaining the vapours in order to increase the temperature of the vapours within the pot.
 3. A pot-type burner as defined in claim 2 wherein the second chamber includes an annular series of air holes defined in the cylindrical wall defining the pot in order to provide air to mix with the vapours before passing through the catalyzer plate.
 4. The burner as defined in claim 1 wherein the catalyzer plate includes a first ring defining a central opening along the axis of the column, a second ring in the plane of the first ring but spaced radially therefrom, the second ring defining an annular space between the wall defining the pot and the periphery of the second ring, and a series of radially extending fins extending between the first and second rings with each fin defining a plane extending axially of the column.
 5. The burner as defined in claim 4 wherein the second ring is fabricated separately from the first ring and the fins extend as one-piece from the first ring and are alternately staggered to overlap top and bottom surfaces of the second ring.
 6. The burner as defined in claim 4 wherein a plurality of tongues extend from the periphery of the second ring to abut the wall defining the pot in order to maintain the annular space between the wall and the periphery of the second ring.
 7. The burner as defined in claim 6 wherein the first ring includes an annular series of openings.
 8. A pot-type burner comprises an open burner having a pot formed by a cylindrical wall defining a column with a bottom wall and an open top, a means for supplying liquid fuel to the vicinity of the bottom wall within the cylinder, and a first column barrier for restricting the flow of vapour derived from the liquid fuel, the first barrier spaced axially from the bottom wall in order to form a first chamber with a restricted throat, a second column barrier spaced axially within the pot, from the first barrier, the second barrier comprising a catalyzer plate extending in a plane normal to the axis of the pot, the catalyzer plate having a central opening, radially extending, spaced apart fins and an annular portion near the first wall of the pot but spaced therefrom to define an annular opening with the first wall, the fins each having a planar component extending axially relative to the column, the catalyzer plate defining a second chamber with the first barrier and the first wall having perforations at least at the level of the second chamber in order to supply air to support combustion of the vapours at the second barrier whereby a blue flame will be sustained in the column at the catalyzer plate.
 9. The burner as defined in claim 8 wherein the first barrier includes a barrier ring normal to the axis of the cylinder, the barrier ring having a planar web portion with axially extending peripheral and inner flanges and wherein the inner flange defines the throat.
 10. The burner as defined in claim 8 wherein the ring is removably supported within the cylinder.
 11. The burner as defined in claim 9 wherein the first ring defines a central opening and extends in a plane normal to the axis of the pot, a second ring spaced radially from the first ring and the second ring spaced slightly from the wall of the cylinder to define an annular opening between the first wall and the periphery of the second ring, and the fins are flat, planar panels extending radially and axially.
 12. The burner as defined in claim 11 wherein the second ring has parallel outer and inner surfaces and alternating fins overlap the inner and outer surfaces.
 13. A catalyzer plate for use in a pot-type burner having a cylindrical wall with a bottom wall and an open top, the catalyzer plate having a central opening, radially extending spaced-apart fins terminating at an annular outer ring, the fins each having a planar component extending normal to the plane of the plate to thereby improve heat exchange that will occur at the level of the catalyzer plate between the fins. 